Fight to the Finish (First to Fight #3) by Jeanette Murray

soaked.” Greg scoffed as he toed the shirt, still on the ground.
    â€œThere’s an entire building full of people. I wonder if they hoped the clothes would dry, and later on, they would catch more fully. After everyone was out of the building. A poor man’s long fuse.”
    Brad’s idea made sense. “God. Just . . . God. We have to do something.”
    â€œWhat, check every guy’s locker for the matching lotion scent?” Greg rolled his eyes.
    â€œNo.” With the finality and calmness that made him the team’s captain, Brad straightened and shut the locker door. “We handle this as a team. In-house. We don’t tell anyone about this. The MPs will get this program shut down. Or we’ll lose our practice space. Either way, it’s no good for anyone. We all meet here, Monday night, ten o’clock. Tell your squads. Nobody else.”
    He didn’t have to specify the squads were the guys they’d been assigned to watch over during tryouts. Though the squads were no longer in play, it worked as an efficient sort of phone tree. Each younger Marine would trust them, and subsequently would show up when asked.
    â€œI just want to get out of here. I’m done with this shit.” Graham slammed his own locker shut, rubbing a towel over his head before chucking it into the laundry bin in the corner by the door.
    â€œAnd to think, a certain hot yogi and her son came to see you. Guess you won’t be finding them after the match, huh?” Greg laughed when Graham growled. “Get over your bad mood. You won. The woman you want came to see you. Her kid’s basically president of your fan club. Other than almost getting burned out of the gym, it’s been a pretty good night.”
    â€œYeah.” Locker room candle aside, it hadn’t been a bad day. Maybe he could even convince Kara to let him take them out for a celebratory ice cream . . . if Zach could have any. He’d have to check with Kara on that.
    The rest would level itself out. Brad was right. It was time to stop dicking around with the MPs and handle their business in-house.
    *   *   *
    KARA let Zach greet a few of the boxers, knowing he’d be safe with them while she spoke to Marianne. She didn’t know the whole team as well as she did Brad, Greg and Graham, but they were all a decent bunch of guys and didn’t mind playing up the superhero card for Zach. Having a young boy idolize them was right up their alley.
    â€œThis is insane,” Kara said as she hugged Marianne. They were bumped from behind by another hugging duo, and scooted over a bit. “Like high school graduation or something. The crowd is all over the place.”
    â€œWelcome to the world of boxing, where first you throwa punch, and then afterward you grab a beer with the guy you just punched.” Her friend grinned, face flushed with excitement, baby-fine blonde hairs sticking to her sweat-dampened temples. “I’m going to need Brad to give me a two-hour-long hand massage, after wrapping so many wrists, fingers and ankles, but this was great.”
    Marianne was in her element, that was for sure. Caring for athletes, and being a part of the team, had always been her dream. She was living it. “Well, go you.”
    â€œReagan’s around here somewhere. The guys will have a team meeting after this dies down a bit. Do you want to grab a drink? Oh wait, you’ve got Zach.”
    â€œYes, and while I lifted his grounding to attend tonight, he’s got to serve the rest of it out, no questions asked.” Why was it that nobody told you when you became a mother, your child’s punishment was just as much your punishment?
    â€œUnderstood. We’ll do a rain check.” Marianne rubbed Kara’s arms briefly. “I’m glad you came, though. I saw you cover your face a few times—”
    â€œMore than a few,” Kara